DIRECT... DIL SE

Its been quite a long time since I wrote an article here. I am restarting proceedings here with a short blog on matters of the heart. Come Sunday, a lot of emotions are going to be up in the air. Valentine's day is celebrated all over the world, as a day to express love to your beloved.

Valentine's day is celebrated to commemorate Valentine of Rome, or Valentine of Terni who were both persecuted and martyred. Their remains lie in state on the Via Flaminia (road). A third saint Valentine who was martyred in Africa is also a specious contention for the celebration of this day... however, there was no reference to love and sentiment during the times of these people (circa 300 AD). A story goes about how a certain saint Valentine performed "illegal" marriages against the king's decree forbidding marriage as it would make his soldiers weak. He was caught and executed, and his apparent last letter was to the hangman's daughter (whom he had miraculously cured of her blindness and fell in love), and it read: "From your Valentine".

The chivalrous knights and courtly love in the medieval era transformed this day completely into a lovers' day. In the late 19th century, greeting cards for "Valentine's day" took the country by storm and proved to be a harbinger of times to come.

Today, Valentine's day is extensively celebrated among intimate couples. Roses, chocolates and other gifts are exchanged on this day, and couples go on dates. This is also a day when the marriage proposal is made, usually by a man to his woman. So women and men, express love in all possible ways you know!

A pun-ny joke goes around in India thus:

Question: Why is November 14th celebrated as childrens' day?
Answer: Because February 14th is Valentine's day.

Photo copyright: aussiegall (from FLICKR)